Officials Aim to Convert Part of McCormick Place Into 3,000-Bed Hospital by End of April

At least 500 beds are expected to be put in place by the end of this week

Published March 30, 2020•Updated on March 30, 2020 at 10:47 pm

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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says that plans to convert
part of Chicago’s McCormick Place into a care facility for individuals with the
novel coronavirus are progressing quickly, and that the first 500 beds at the facility
will be in place this week.

According to the governor, the first delivery of beds to the
facility was made over the weekend. By the end of April, the Army Corps of
Engineers and the Illinois National Guard plan to have 3,000 beds available for
patients dealing with COVID-19.

“On behalf of a grateful state, thank you,” Pritzker said.

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Pritzker said that the facility at McCormick Place will be
designed to help patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms, and who don’t require
intensive care. The plan for the temporary hospital is to “relieve pressure on
the hospital system by freeing up beds for more patients with severe COVID-19
cases,” according to a state press release.

The governor activated 30 Airmen from the Illinois National
Guard to assist with the labor associated with the project. The state received
$15 million in federal funding from FEMA to help support construction plans
designed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The state is also working with the Corps to reopen the
Advocate Sherman Hospital campus in suburban Elgin, as well as the Metro South Health
Center in Blue Island to help ease strain on the state’s hospital system.

While Pritzker says he hopes the additional space won’t be
needed, the state is being forced to prepare for that eventuality as cases of
the virus continue to increase.

“If we never have to
go beyond our existing facilities, we will all be very happy. But since we can’t
guarantee that – and in fact, we don’t have the data yet to suggest otherwise –
we are actively building our capacity,” he said.